James Coignard was born in Tours, France in 1925.
Studied in the evenings at Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in Nice, then as an apprentice to the painter Marchand des Raux in an attempt to achieve his goal of becoming a full time artist. Starting to exhibit in 1949, Coignard won first prize Hors Concours aux Arts Decoratifs in 1950. He continued to show his works moving to the international market during the 50's and 60's. At that time he was frequenting Braque, Matisse, Chagall; He is especially renowned for his use of vibrant primary colors and for his technical versatility. In both his mixed media canvases and his works on paper, Coignard also achieves a deep, heavy texture that is another distinctive trait of his art. He is also an accomplished sculptor as well, working with such varied materials as bronze and glass.

In 1968, Coignard was introduced to the carborandum etching process. He was intrigued by the process as it enabled him to "multiply a work and still keep the originality that inhabits my paintings".
He has become a master of this process and his works have achieved international acclaim.
Coignard is a compulsive worker, producing e ...